'Roar with Phoebe' at Summit's National Night Out, Aug. 5

Summit residents are encouraged to support the Phoebe Celeste Green Fund and “Roar with Phoebe,” a young girl combatting an extremely rare autoimmune disorder on Tuesday, Aug. 5, during Summit’s National Night Out, beginning at 6 PM on the Village Green: Meet Phoebe Celeste Green, a beautiful, charismatic 3-year-old.

Earlier this year, Phoebe was diagnosed with Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome (ALPS), a rare genetic blood disorder which carries a lifelong, increased risk of lymphoma and other fatal forms of cancer.

ALPS, a recently characterized syndrome, causes multiple white blood cells to rapidly form, affecting multiple organs and systems. Autoimmune disorders are also characteristic of ALPS with the majority of autoimmune disorders associated with the syndrome being known to damage blood cells.

Throughout Phoebe’s illness, the Green family has faced a constant struggle with health insurance companies selectively covering only a handful of costs, mainly due to the rarity of the syndrome. Previously covered tests and procedures now become out-of-pocket expenses. Pre-authorizations or referrals have also become requirements with fewer doctors in the network and little to no compensation for out-of-network coverage.

Sadly, Phoebe’s journey with ALPS is far from over. In the past 14 months, Phoebe has endured three surgeries. Two of the surgeries were to remove swollen lymphnodes and one was to remove her tonsils and adenoids, which have now grown back due to this disorder. Newly formed lymphnodes were also discovered in her neck where she recently had three removed.

Members of the Summit community as well as surrounding communities are encouraged to support Phoebe and the entire Green family on Tuesday, August 5th during Summit’s National Night Out Against Crime (NNO), hosted by the Summit Police Department. NNO occurs every year on Summit’s Village Green with Opening Ceremonies set to begin at 6 PM.

The evening will be filled with family-friendly activities, displays and demonstrations, as well as sports & games, including the Annual Dunk Tank. This year, all proceeds from the Annual Dunk Tank contest will be donated to the Green family to assist in covering Phoebe’s medical care. Don’t miss the opportunity to dunk members of the Summit Police Department as well as the Summit Fire Department while supporting a worthy cause.